Health Matters: Testing for Alzheimer's Disease

More than 3 million people are diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease every year. But there may be a way to test for the disease years before a patient is diagnosed.

Neurologist Dr. Fredrick Schaerf says last year his practice screened about 900 people for Alzheimer’s disease. “Only about 50 got into a clinical trial, but the other 800 or more we think got some good advice. This is a disease that can be mimicked by many other things.”

The ongoing clinical research is part of collaboration with several pharmaceutical companies. The goal is to bring a biological intervention for Alzheimer’s disease. “It’s helped define it. It’s helped put some interventions in that treat it symptomatically. And now it has really assisted in hopefully coming up with something that will help it from progressing,” said Dr. Schaerf.

The research also includes a clinical trial for patients who are at risk for developing Alzheimer’s disease. Participants with mild cognitive impairment can receive infusions to reduce the amyloid that’s killing brain cells. “It’s a way for families to get empowered, the subject and the trial gets empowered, they’re doing something about it, they’re learning about it,” said Dr. Schaerf.

Doctors say starting at age 50 it’s important for patients to know their brain health. Alzheimer’s disease can start developing 20 years before a patient is diagnosed. “I think we just need to continue to push and realize that the brain is the most important organ and as we’re living longer, without it we’re lost,” said Dr. Schaerf.

With brain screenings, research, and clinical trials, doctors hope to ultimately find and treat the disease before it impacts a patient’s life.